Body Contouring in Sarasota, FL
Reshape a Body To Suit Natural Changes
Body contouring covers the operations that remove loose skin and reshape what's underneath. They exist because skin doesn't always recover from what it's been through. After a pregnancy, after significant weight loss, or simply after enough years, skin can lose the elasticity that once let it snap back.
That's a mechanical problem rather than a discipline problem. No amount of exercise tightens skin that's lost its elasticity, and no amount of fat removal helps if the skin above it is already loose. Contouring procedures take the excess away and reshape what remains.
Dr. Alissa Shulman has been a board-certified plastic surgeon since 2002 and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (F.A.C.S.). She has practiced since 2000 and has been in Sarasota since 2009. She works below the neck and plans every contouring operation around your own proportions. Request an appointment and she'll tell you which procedures would actually help.
Abdominal Contouring
Flatten and Tighten the Abdomen After Pregnancy or Weight Loss
A tummy tuck, known medically as abdominoplasty, removes loose skin from the abdomen and repairs abdominal muscles that separated during pregnancy. It's the most thorough option for a midsection that stays rounded or hangs regardless of your weight, and it does what liposuction can't.
Upper Arm Contouring
Tighten Loose Skin on the Upper Arms
An arm lift, or brachioplasty, removes hanging skin from the upper arm. It's most commonly requested after major weight loss. The result is a firmer arm contour, and the trade is a scar running along the back of the upper arm, which Dr. Shulman will show you the position of before you decide.
Thigh Contouring
Remove Loose Skin From the Upper Legs
A thigh lift removes excess skin from the inner or outer thigh, again most often after substantial weight loss. If your concern is fat rather than skin, thigh and hip liposuction is the smaller operation with no visible scar, and Dr. Shulman will tell you which problem you have.
Combining Procedures
Address Several Areas in One Operation
A mommy makeover combines procedures, usually abdominal and breast work, into a single surgery with one recovery and one set of facility fees. Combining isn't right for everyone, since a longer operation carries more risk, and Dr. Shulman will be direct about how much is sensible to do at once.
After Major Weight Loss
Know When Your Body Is Ready for Surgery
If you've lost a significant amount of weight, whether through diet, bariatric surgery, or weight loss medication, contouring is usually the next step. Timing matters. Most surgeons want your weight stable for several months first, because further loss after surgery creates new looseness. Dr. Shulman would rather wait with you than operate twice.
What Contouring Isn't
Understand the Limits Before You Book
Body contouring isn't weight loss surgery and isn't a substitute for it. These operations remove skin and reshape contour. They don't treat obesity, and they work best once your weight is where you intend it to stay. Every one of them leaves a permanent scar, traded for a change in shape that nothing else achieves. Dr. Shulman will show you exactly where those scars fall before you commit to anything.